Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso

It will be because of our insistence and perseverance that we succeed in reversing the trend by turning our policies, strategies and actions toward low carbon, green economies.

Paul Kaba Thieba, Prime Minister, Burkina Faso

Country overview

Burkina Faso is one of the poorest countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. The country has limited natural resources and relies heavily on thermal fossil fuels. Burkina Faso’s economy is primarily based on agriculture, employing about 80% of the population, where cotton remains the country’s most important cash crop. Despite slow economic growth during 2014-2015, the economy is forecasted to have a positive outlook for the next three years depending on the newly elected government’s ability to foster political peace and institutional stability. The primary objective for PAGE is to integrate IGE goals and targets into the country's development plan.

Progress in 2016

The new government of Burkina Faso has committed to develop and adopt ambitious green economy targets and policies. PAGE's work in Burkina Faso in 2016 builds on earlier work on integrating inclusive green economy goals and targets into national planning documents. The new government of Burkina Faso has committed to develop and adopt:

Building individual and institutional capacity on inclusive green economy

Raising awareness about the benefits of green economy transition

Burkina Faso Green Economy Academy

Burkina Faso hosted its first Green Economy Academy in Ouagodougou from December 14 to 16, 2016, bringing together more than 300 participants from the government, the private sector and civil society to learn about and advance the Green Economy agenda in the country.

Exploring revenue streams for green economy transition

A fiscal study is nearing completion in Burkina Faso and will be revised to reflect the priorities of the new government. The study analyses and identifies fiscal instruments that can realistically be applied in key sectors.

In Peru, an ILO lab project on good practices for forest competitiveness is linked to the objectives of a UN-REDD programme, and aligned with PAGE support in the forestry sector.

In Senegal, PAGE is contributing to a public-private partnership for a Green Economy Incubator (ITEV), with aligned contributions from higher education institutions, private sector companies and government agencies.

In China, additional provinces are following the PAGE approach to green economy supported by the government.